From Lost Socks to Dirty Dishwashers: DIY Solutions for Problems We’ve All Got

published Apr 14, 2016
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(Image credit: Lovely Indeed)

Raise your hand if you’ve ever had shampoo explode in your luggage. Or if you’ve ever had a really unnecessary spat with your spouse about loading dirty dishes into a clean dishwasher. See? These things are totally universal problems that we all face. And that means, yes, somebody’s already thought of the perfect solution.

Problem: Bobby pins everywhere.

Solution: This case from Lovely Indeed, made from a Tic Tac container.

(Image credit: Made Everyday)

Problem: Your family uses a billion cups.

Solution: Everyone gets one special cup that sticks to the fridge with magnets, like these from Made Everyday.

(Image credit: Studio 120 Underground)

Problem: Socks keep losing their match.

Solution: Download this $6 printable file from Studio 120 on Etsy, put it in a frame near the laundry machines and hot glue clothespins to the bottom.

(Image credit: BrightNest)

Problem: You keep putting dirty dishes in a clean dishwasher.

Solution: A magnet, like this one from BrightNest, that you can turn over when you unload or run the dishwasher.

(Image credit: Alisha Marie)

Problem: You have too many products in the shower.

Solution: This shower hacks video from Alisha Marie shows how to use curtain clips to hang face scrub and other bottles from a tension rod (or the towel rod, with shower rings that open).

(Image credit: I Spy DIY)

Problem: All your keys look alike.

Solution: Color-code them with nail polish like I Spy DIY did.

(Image credit: One Crazy House)

Problem: The window blinds are always dusty.

Solution: Make a custom tool like this one from One Crazy House with dish towels and a pair of kitchen tongs.

(Image credit: Graceship)

Problem: Your shampoo leaked all over your luggage.

Solution: Unscrew the lid, cover the opening with plastic wrap and re-close the lid, just like Graceship did here. Great for packing or when you need to move with spillable bathroom and kitchen supplies.

(Image credit: The Chic Site)

Problem: You never know which cord is which on your power strip.

Solution: A bit of colorful tape and a good pen will fix that, as you can see here from The Chic Site.

(Image credit: LifeHack.org)

Problem: Your cords keep sliding off the desk.

Solution: Clip binder clips to the edge of the desk, then fasten the cords inside the clip handles, like here from LifeHack.org.

(Image credit: Everyday Dishes)

Problem: Your cords keep sliding off the desk and you can never tell which is which.

Solution: One part binder clip, one part tape label, from Everyday Dishes.